Huseyin Kilavuz

and 4 more

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Correctly identifying drug and food allergies in hospitalized patients is important to prevent unwanted allergic reactions or unnecessary treatment changes. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of the frequency of drug and food allergies in all patients hospitalized in the general surgery department during a one-year period on our approach in clinical practice. METHODS: In our single-center, retrospective study, all patients admitted to general surgery services between 01.01.2023 and 31.12.2023 were included. Patients who were given an identifying red wristband and had allergy information on their digital patient card panel were included in the study. Patients with repeated hospitalizations within the total number of patients were included in the study as one patient. RESULTS: Data of 5810 patients hospitalized in the general surgery department for one year were scanned. 759 patients with an allergy label were included in the study. Of these, 241 (31.8%) were male, 518 (68.2%) were female, and the mean age was 58.81±15.77 (18-96). Among all hospitalized patients, drug allergy rate was 7.2%, antibiotic allergy rate was 3.8%, and penicillin allergy rate was 2.1%. Food allergy was detected in 1.5% of the total patient group.The most frequently reported allergenic foods were tomatoes, mushrooms, spices, eggs, milk and dairy products, respectively. CONCLUSION: We recommend the use of identifying wristbands, such as red wristbands, to ensure that the allergy history of hospitalized patients is correctly questioned and that patients with allergies are labeled. We also believe that protocols for allergy labels should be developed in health centers.